Cameroon Stun Hosts Morocco On Penalties to Reach Wafcon Final

Morocco/Cameroon: Cameroon Stun Hosts Morocco On Penalties to Reach Wafcon Final - Hosts Pay Price for Late Penalty Miss Cameroon reached the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 on Wednesday night after defeating hosts Morocco 3-1 on penalties following a dramatic goalless semi-final in Rabat. The Indomitable Lionesses held their nerve in the shootout at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium after 120 minutes failed to produce a goal, with Morocco left to rue a golden opportunity to win the contest when Fatima Tagnaout missed a penalty in extra time. Cameroon converted three of their four kicks in the shootout through Marie Ngah, Rose Bella and Myriam Nyadjou, while Morocco managed only one successful effort, scored by Hanane Aït El Haj. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines Kenza Chapelle, Meryem Atiq and Sakina Ouzraoui all failed to convert for the Atlas Lionesses as Cameroon completed another major knockout victory after eliminating defending champions Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals. The victory sends Cameroon into their fourth WAFCON final and ends Morocco's hopes of reaching the continental showpiece for a third successive edition. Tight contest produces few openings The match began cautiously, with both sides unwilling to take unnecessary risks in a semi-final carrying enormous stakes. Morocco, backed by a passionate home crowd, looked to use the flanks and attempted to impose greater control of possession, while Cameroon remained compact and disciplined without abandoning their own attacking ambitions. Neither side was able to find a breakthrough before the interval as the two defences dominated proceedings. Morocco increased the tempo after the restart and coach Jorge Vilda turned to his bench in an attempt to provide greater attacking energy. Ibtissam Jraidi and Nouhaila Badri were withdrawn in the second half, while Tagnaout was among those asked to make an impact as the hosts searched for the goal that would take them closer to another final. Cameroon, however, remained organised and continued to frustrate their opponents, with neither side able to score before the end of regulation time. Tagnaout misses Morocco's golden opportunity Extra time appeared to be heading towards penalties when Morocco were handed the biggest opportunity of the night in the 118th minute. Tagnaout stepped forward after the hosts were awarded a penalty with only moments remaining, knowing a successful conversion could have effectively secured Morocco's place in the final. But she failed to score, giving Cameroon a dramatic reprieve. The miss proved decisive. With the score still 0-0 after 120 minutes, the semi-final moved to a shootout -- familiar territory for Morocco, who had won their previous two WAFCON semi-finals on penalties against Nigeria in 2022 and Ghana in 2024. Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. This time, however, their remarkable record from the spot deserted them. Cameroon end penalty shootout hoodoo Aït El Haj converted Morocco's opening penalty, but Chapelle then missed their second effort. Cameroon were far more composed, with Ngah scoring before Grace Mendoua missed their second kick. Bella restored Cameroon's advantage, while Atiq failed with Morocco's third attempt. Nyadjou then converted Cameroon's fourth penalty before Ouzraoui missed Morocco's next kick, sealing a 3-1 shootout triumph for the Indomitable Lionesses. The result was particularly significant for Cameroon, who had lost all three of their previous WAFCON penalty shootouts, including a semi-final defeat by Nigeria in 2018. They have now overcome Nigeria and hosts Morocco in successive knockout matches to secure a place in the continental final. For Morocco, the defeat brings a painful end to their bid to reach a third consecutive WAFCON final and claim their first African title on home soil. For Cameroon, a campaign already transformed by their quarter-final victory over 10-time champions Nigeria has produced another major result -- and the Indomitable Lionesses are now one victory away from becoming African champions. Read the original article on CAF. Wafcon 2026 - Chawinga Sisters Fire Malawi Into Historic Final As Cameroon End Morocco's Dream Chawinga Sisters Inspire Malawi Into Historic TotalEnergies CAF Wafcon Final Morocco West Africa Sport Soccer North Africa Cameroon Central Africa AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us. 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